Colour photos on EVMs starting with Bihar polls File photo kochi l thursday l september 18, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION New Delhi: Photos of candidates will be printed in colour on the EVM ballot paper starting with the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. The candidates’ face will now occupy three-fourths of the photo space on the EVM ballot paper. Additionally, the names, serial numbers of all candidates, and the NOTA option will be printed in larger, bold fonts | PTI CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI EU sets yr-end HC flags weight drop of ‘gold’ plates, orders probe target for India free trade pact E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @Kochi Strategic framework evolved for enhanced ties on trade, security, climate, technology J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi The European Union set a firm target to conclude its longpending Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India by the end of 2025 and unveiled a new sweeping strategic framework aimed at expanding the bloc’s ties with New Delhi. The New Strategic EU-India Agenda, adopted through a Joint Communication by the European Commission and the EU’s High Representative on Wednesday outlines a broad vis i o n for enhanced cooperation spanning trade, security climate, , technology, and global governance. “Europe is already India’s biggest trading partner, and we are committed to finalising our Free Trade Agreement by the end of the year,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “Now is the time to focus on reliable partners and double down on partnerships rooted in shared interests and guided by common values. With our new EU-India strategy, we are taking our relationship to the next Asia cup After drama, Pakistan, India to meet again E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @Chennai OH, Pakistan. Nobody does drama like them and Wednesday lived up to expectations. In the afternoon, they were on the verge of forfeiting their must-win encounter against UAE. In the night, they edged past UAE to set up round two against India on Sunday in a Super 4 match. On a good deck, Pakistan, who have struggled for consistency only managed 146, a , total UAE appeared to have in their sights before losing their way at the end. At one point, it didn’t seem like the match was going ahead. UAE had already started their warm-ups in while the Pakistan players remained in the team hotel as the fall-out over the Andy Pycroft issue rumbled on. The entire episode goes back a few days after their game against India. They had alleged that match referee had asked the two captains to not shake hands at the toss, a regular sight. So, they wanted Pycroft removed for the remainder of the tournament but the organisers and the ICC were unmoved. PCB relented after some backchannel lobbying. Chair, Mohsin Naqvi, had multiple formal talks before giving the green signal. Will there be handshakes on Sunday? There’s nothing to suggest India will now go back. 16 pages, including 4 pages of kochi Express level — advancing trade, investment and talent mobility, strengthening joint economic security and deepening indus, trial cooperation in defence.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the new agenda, calling it a forward-looking initiative to strengthen bilateral ties. “…Delighted to know about the ‘New Strategic EU-India Agenda’ adopted today he post,” ed on X. “India is ready to take the India-EU relationship to the next level. It is our shared commitment, shared goal, and shared responsibility .” The announcement marks a key policy priority for the EU, which comes amid a changing geopolitical landscape of growing push for resilient supply chains and diversified trade partnerships. The Joint Communication talks about untapped potential in trade and investment and sets out measures to reinforce supply chain resilience, enhance cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, and deepen engagement through the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC). The Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered a probe into the “glaring and unexplained reduction” of 4.541 kg in the combined weight of the goldcladded copper plates of dwarapalaka idols of Sabarimala temple and the ‘peedams’ on which they stood when they were weighed a month apart in 2019. Expressing shock over the discrepancy, a division bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K SC bins pleas Against global Ayyappa meet Sangamam reignites political heat The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected pleas against holding the Global Ayyappa Sangamam at Pampa. “The High Court has considered the matter in detail and issued guidelines,” it said | P4 As the Ayyappa Sangamam date nears, political undercurrents in Pandalam are coming into focus. Many are comparing the rightwing mobilisation around the event to BJP’s surge during the 2018 Sabarimala stir | P4 V Jayakumar ordered the chief vigilance and security officer (SP), Travancore Devaswom HQ, to carry out a comprehensive probe and file a report within three weeks. “These irregularities are of the gravest order, striking at the very core of the integrity and transparency that must guide the administration of a temple of such sanctity and public trust,” said the bench, while hearing a suo motu case taken up on the Sabarimala special commissioner’s report that said the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) sent the plates to Smart Creations, Chennai, earlier this month for repair without informing either him or the HC. Perusing the documents it had sought from the chief vigilance and security officer last week, the bench said the ma- In a 1st, pvt firm vets NIRF rankings S L A L I THA @ New Delhi India Rankings 2025 released by the Education Ministry a fortnight ago was vetted by a private consultancy firm— the first such instance since the inception of the rankings in 2015. Global consulting firm EY, currently associated with various central projects, was entrusted with the task. Sources said the decision to rope in EY for double verification of data was birthday bonding Narendra Modi holds a child as he tours the PM MITRA Park Pavilion in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, on Wednesday | PTI A K Antony Attacked by CM Pinarayi Vijayan over police brutality, Cong veteran clears the air | P4 taken in the backdrop of an inexplicable surge in rankings by some institutions and the shocking slump registered by a few others. “It was heartening to note that the firm (EY) endorsed the rankings made by us and did not find even a single error,” claimed an official with the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) team. The rankings were delayed by six weeks this year due to the additional verification process, said sources. hazar dated July 19, 2019, recorded that Unnikrishnan Potty (a devotee from Bengaluru who sponsored the repair and was impleaded as a respondent in the suo motu case) obtained nod to undertake fresh goldplating of the idols on his own sponsorship. The mahazar recorded that 12 gold-cladded copper plates weighing 25.4kg, were entrusted to POtty. On July 20, 2019, the two peedams, weighing 17.4kg in total, were handed over to him, it said.  ● More on P4